Preface

• This is a film I had heard IMMENSE praise for, and couldn’t wait to check out.
• My local movie theater finally got it, then my local movie theater finally got it at a showtime that wasn’t 10:30 at night, so let’s talk some Birdman!

Cast and Characters

• If you’ve heard Oscar buzz for this film, then you’ve probably heard about the acting in it.
  • I can guarantee Best Lead Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress nominations are locked from this film, but I’ll get to those.
• First the characters.
  • There’s not one single character in this film I didn’t like.
  • All of the characters in this film are so grounded in reality, yet they all have caricature elements to them that make them believable for a film setting like this.
    • It’s hard to describe, see the movie.
  • And all of the characters fit into their places.
    • No one felt unused, out-of-place, or too much.
      • Perfect Distribution.
    • And the acting, holy God!
    • Michael Keaton plays Riggan, which is basically a role Michael Keaton was born to play.
      • Riggan is an actor who was famous for playing a superhero twenty years ago, and now he’s trying to make a comeback.
        • If that sounds familiar, Michael Keaton is also famous for playing a superhero twenty years ago, and now he’s trying to make a comeback.
      • And Riggan seems kind of one or two noted at first, but after the first few minutes you start to literally go inside this dude’s brain, and it is mesmerizing.
      • And by the end of the film, you’re thinking, “yeah, this is an Academy Award worthy performance.”
    • Speaking of Oscars, Edward Norton is in the movie and he is the best he’s been in a while!
      • I’ve heard these funny things about Edward Norton being hard to work with on set, and those carry onto this movie in the most hilarious way.
      • His character is like a super-actor, who does all of the method acting and takes it all extremely seriously.
      • He adds great comedy to the film, and has some of the cheesiest one-liners that aren’t cheesy.
        • They would be from anyone besides this character, but for this guy it just works.
      • Zach Galifiankis is also really effective in his role.
        • He isn’t just the dumb chubby guy in a comedy here.
        • His character has life to him, and emotions that actually transcend through him
        • Good casting choice.
      • And the final actor I’ll touch on is one not getting a ton of praise, maybe cuz she’s overshadowed by the other standouts, but Emma Stone KILLS IT in Birdman.
        • She plays the washed-up daughter of Keaton’s character and she sells it.
        • She doesn’t ‘disappear into the character’ or anything, but she delivers such a powerful performance that brings a familial element into the film.
        • And she has one of the two best monologues in this film.
          • It’s on YouTube, but she’s talking to Keaton about relevance and how he’s so worried about being important and why it matters so much to him.
          • It’s probably gonna be her Oscar clip because I guarantee a nomination, almost more so than one of the others.

Script

• The script of this movie is the best I’ve seen all year, by far.
• There was one scene where Norton was talking to Stone on a roof, and I had to take a step back and remind myself that this wasn’t actually happening.
  • I had to actually remind myself that I wasn’t with them, listening to this conversation take place, and remind myself it was only a movie.
  • That shows the quality.
• The dialogue in this is so realistic, and not in any kind of Pulp Fiction or Social Network kind-of way.
  • It takes conversations that people have in the world everyday, and copies/pastes it onto the big screen.
• The script follows really well too.
  • There might be a couple scenes that could have been shaved down, but nothing significant.
    • That and Norton’s arc just kinda disappears from the movie, not to be heard from again, so resolution for that may have helped.
  • And the other monologue in this film that was absurdly perfect: the one about critics.
    • This one critic is getting up in Keaton’s face for not possessing real talent and only being ‘a celebrity.’
    • So he gets back in hers and just starts breaking down what it means to be a ‘critic.’
    • Even though I don’t consider myself ‘a critic,’ some of the stuff he talks about I’m guilty of!
      • Comparing one thing to other things, occasionally using big words, etc.

Direction

• The other main star of this movie who will be nominated for Best Director will be Alejandro González Iñárritu.
  • Yes, I did copy and paste his name from IMDb.
• I’m sure you guys have all heard, but this movie was filmed to look like it was all one shot.
  • Like one continuous tracking shot.
    • Imagine True Detective or Goodfellas tracking shots, for two hours.
  • And much like Gone Girl, the specific direction adds this clawing sensation to the film, drenching it buckets of realism.
  • The film’s direction added so much to how the film was actually watched.
    • It makes Birdman feel like, quite frankly, an experience.
  • I don’t know if Iñárritu will win Best Director (Richard Linklater may have the favor of the Academy), but he’s an honorary winner in my book.

Themes/Morals

• There were A TON of themes and morals running around this movie, but unlike Boyhood, I could actually pick them up while I was watching it!
• This films deals with themes of duality, and existence, and whether or not we really matter, and what makes us: us.
• The film is constantly challenging what makes Riggan himself, and how one thing defining you can be a really positive thing sometimes.
• There were other morals about life, living, carpe diem, and more underneath the surface, but I’ll talk more about those in My Top 10 of the Year.

In Conclusion

• There are certain aspects I look at when judging if a film is a 5/5.
  • Acting/Characters
    • Are all the actors absolute standouts?
    • Do any characters feel irrelevant?
    • Are all the characters useful and used to their fullest?
  • Script
    • Does what is happening feel believable?
    • Does the film fit perfectly into its designated genre, or create a brand of uniqueness?
  • Direction
    • Is the film well shot, well-directed, and well-made in general?
    • Is the direction effective for the kind of film being presented?
  • Morals and Themes
    • Does it have any?
    • Do they make you think about the film long after its over?
    • Do they seems relevant?
  • Remembrance
    • Are there scenes from the film that you specifically remember after the film ends?
    • Do you want to see the film again, or buy it on Blu-ray?
  • That all being said, Birdman is…

by definition!

A 5/5

• It’s a brilliant film, and I hope you all get a chance to check it out by the time awards season hits, because you’ll be hearing a lot more about it then.

***

So guys, those are my thoughts on Birdman! What are your thoughts? Let me know down below, and as always, thanks for reading guys.